Skipper Shahi Hope believes that West Indies batters led the team down during their 8-wicket defeat against Australia on Tuesday at the Manuka Oval.
An abysmal batting performance from West Indies in the third ODI in Canberra on Tuesday (February 6) paved the way for Australia’s comfortable eight-wicket win as the hosts completed a 3-0 whitewash of the ODI series.
Xavier Bartlett starred again with the ball for Australia, bagging 4-21 while Lance Morris and Adam Zampa chipped in with two wickets apiece as West Indies were bundled out for a paltry 86 in 24.1 overs. Australia needed only 6.5 overs to reach the target, with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Josh Inglis doing well with the bat.
Alick Athanaze top-scored for West Indies with 32 off 60 deliveries and tried to hold the innings together even as Australia kept pegging away at the other end. Bartlett, Morris and Sean Abbott all got amongst the wickets as West Indies were reduced to 44/4 in the 13th over. But Australia had an injury setback as debutant Morris, having bowled three deliveries in his fifth over, walked off the field with a side strain.
Athanaze and Roston Chase tried to steady the sinking West Indies ship but the former’s dismissal ended a partnership worth 27, the highest for the innings, leaving West Indies at 71/5. There was no resistance from the lower order after that as West Indies lost their last six wickets for the addition of only 15 runs.
Australia got off the blocks quickly in the chase as Fraser-McGurk and Inglis scored at a rapid pace, dealing in fours and sixes in their 67-run opening stand. Fraser-McGurk, however, was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph for 41 off 18, with his knock including 5 fours and 3 sixes. Aaron Hardie had a short stay, getting out to Oshane Thomas, before Inglis and Steve Smith took Australia over the line in the seventh over. With this win, Australia whitewashed the three-match series 3-0.
West Indies’ performance with the bat was summed up as only three batters managing to go past the two-digit score.
“Not sure if we can make sense of it, our batters let us down. We need to do some real searching. Can’t really put your finger on one thing, comes down to mindset. Few things we can look at but we didn’t bat as well as we should have. Keacy (Carty) played really well, he should take a lot of confidence, Roston Chase also played well. We must take the positives with us to negate the negatives. (On the upcoming T20 series) Different format, looking to turn things around,” Hope said after the game.
Brief scores: West Indies 86 in 24.1 overs (Alick Athanaze 32; Xavier Bartlett 4-21, Lance Morris 2-13) lost to Australia 87/2 in 6.5 overs (Jake Fraser-McGurk 41, Josh Inglis 35*; Oshane Thomas 1-7) by 8 wickets.
Listen people and stop deluded yourselves: Australia is the top team in all formats and playing them at home a team has to come right and we could not be right because for one reason or another some players were unavailable so please let us recognize the truth and be grateful we squared the Test series